Nubians

Quick Facts: Who was Nubians?

Subject:

Nubians

Known for:

An indigenous ethnolinguistic group from northern Sudan and southern Egypt.

Died:

Living / None

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Nubians (Nobiin: Nⲟⲃⲓ̄,) are an ethnic group indigenous to the Nubia region, which stretches from southern Egypt to northern Sudan. They originate from the early inhabitants of the central Nile valley, believed to be one of the earliest cradles of civilization. In the southern valley of Egypt, Nubians differ culturally and ethnically from Egyptians. They speak the Nilo-Saharan Nubian languages as their mother tongue, which are part of the Northern Eastern Sudanic languages, and Arabic as a second language. Neolithic settlements have been found in the central Nubian region, dating back to 7000 BC, with Wadi Halfa believed to be the oldest settlement in the central Nile valley.

Career & Major Achievements

Parts of Nubia, particularly Lower Nubia, were at times part of ancient Pharaonic Egypt and at other times a rival state representing parts of Meroë or the Kingdom of Kush. By the Twenty-fifth Dynasty (744 BC–656 BC), all of Egypt was united with Nubia, extending down to what is now Khartoum However, in 656 BC, the native Twenty-sixth Dynasty regained control of Egypt. As warriors, the ancient Nubians were famous for their skill and precision with the bow and arrow. In the Middle Ages, following the collapse of the Kingdom of Kush to the Axumites, and the closure of the last Ancient Egyptian temple by Emperor Justinian I, the Nubians started gradually converting to Christianity and established three kingdoms: Nobatia in the north, Makuria in the center, and Alodia in the south. They then converted to Islam during the Islamization of the Sudan region.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Nubians in Egypt primarily live in Aswan Governorate, especially in Kom Ombo and Nasr al-Nuba, north of Aswan, and large cities such as Cairo, while Sudanese Nubians live in Northern State, from the city of Wadi Halfa on the Egypt–Sudan border to al Dabbah near the Fourth Cataract, as well as in large cities such as Khartoum. Some Halfawi Nubians were forcibly relocated to Khashm el Girba and New Halfa upon the construction of the Aswan High Dam, while in Egypt, Faddicca and Kenzi Nubians were forcibly relocated to villages in 'New Nubia' near Kom Ombo. The construction of the Aswan High Dam displaced 100,000 Nubians in Egypt and Sudan and flooded much of Lower Nubia. Additionally, a group known as the Midob live in North Darfur, another group known as the Birgid live in Central Darfur and several groups known as the Hill Nubians live in Northern Kordofan in Haraza and a few villages in the northern Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan state. The main Nile Nubian groups from north to south are the Kenzi (Kenzi/Mattokki-speaking), Faddicca (Nobiin-speaking), Halfawi (Nobiin-speaking), Sukkot (Nobiin-speaking), Mahas (Nobiin-speaking), and Danagla (Andaandi-speaking).

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Nubians

True or False: “The name 'Nubia' was originally derived from the ancient Egyptian word for gold ('nbw').”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Scholars reject this etymology; the modern geographical name is traced to Greek forms of the ethnonym Noba or Nobatae.

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